With so many companies joining the marketplace in the past few decades, it was inevitable that internet websites would spring up and offer these businesses an easy and affordable way to get their name, image and brand onto the world wide web. As web design experts, we’re here to talk you through the ins and outs of these website builders and whether they’re the right choice for your business or not. It may seem obvious, but a website builder is a specially designed platform that can help you build a website by yourself or with help from a professional. They’re DIY platforms generally aimed at small businesses and start-ups who want to create a simple online presence, in quick time, and without the need for hardcore IT skills. Just because website builders are DIY platforms doesn’t necessarily mean there’s anything wrong with them or makes them less useful– you can build a professional website that doesn’t just rely on templates and includes all your own branding, imagery and content. Online website builders don’t require any annoying software downloads and most come with hosting services built in to make the whole process easier in the long run too. They’re also very low cost and even completely free in many cases if you only want the most basic building features.
Best Website Builders
We’ve collected up what we think are some of the best website builders out there to help you make your decision.
Wix – One of the most popular website builders, offering a combination of design tools, capabilities, and design freedom, while being completely free in its most basic version which is suitable for many small businesses.
GoDaddy – Well known for custom domain names and web hosting, its free website builder option offers everything you need to get a simple website up and running in less than an hour plus many security and hosting options.
Shopify – Best for e-commerce websites, quick and easy to use, guides you through the complexities of holding an inventory, paying tax, and working out shipping rates, but due to the fact you’ll primarily be making money as an e-commerce site, there’s no free plan for Shopifiy, only a 14-day free trial.
Squarespace – It’s got high-quality design options but lacks substance underneath this; great for small businesses and trendy start-ups for whom style is maybe more important than functionality. There’s a 14-day free trial but no free version.
WordPress – WordPress is perhaps the most simple and easy to use website builder, but that means it’s also very basic. However, WordPress also runs many sites which aren’t just for writers and bloggers and is compatible with many themes and plugins where the potential to develop your site is virtually unlimited. It’s especially easy if you plan on posting a lot of content.
Should You Use A Website Builder?
If you’re a small business looking to get online in a quick and stress-free way, you might be thinking after reading this that the concept of a website builder couldn’t sound any more perfect. It’s not so straightforward in a lot of cases, though. As professional website designers ourselves, we’re somewhat biased, but by using professional website development as opposed to DIY website builders, we believe that you can achieve a true bespoke quality website with full control over the design and technical aspects that offers much more than what you can achieve on your own. Sure, it requires a bit more know how than standard free-to-use website builders, however the end result will wow you and your visitors alike, leading to all important conversions. We’ve highlighted the suitability of website builders for small businesses in particular, and we stand by the fact that this is a great option, but this doesn’t mean we don’t design for small businesses though. We do design for small businesses and much of our client base is made up of just those people, companies that don’t have multinational marketing budgets but still want to make their mark on the internet, and do it right. Despite website builders being so simple and easy to use, we often hear that people still struggle with them and it can become frustrating and time consuming. Some people simply don’t want to use any sort of software technology and are only familiar with the basics of computing. It’s just not their cup of tea, and we think that’s completely understandable. For us, website building is our passion, just like your business is yours, and we take pride in the fact we can develop amazing sites for companies large and small. Another reason why people come to us is because they just don’t have the time to use a website builder, seeing as being super busy is part and parcel of being a business owner. It’s our job to help the people that don’t have the time or patience to tinker with website builders, and we love doing it. We love putting our skills to good use, and we get a lot of satisfaction out of helping a business off the ground or just by taking it to the next level. We live in the digital age, and websites are an important part of that. If you’re not on the internet, it’s much harder to be found. The investment of hiring professional website designers is one that is sure to come to fruition. Our testimonials speak for themselves in this regard. We’ve helped many people create their dream websites, including helping them to create advertising campaigns to get their businesses up and running after the initial website design launch, and in helping them to improve their search engine ranking by using Liverpool Seo audits.
Bottom Line
For some businesses, a website isn’t a crucial part of their operations. These businesses may still feel like they need to have a website as a formality though to stand out in the marketplace. Using a website builder is perfect for these circumstances. In all other cases, however, we recommend hiring web design professionals who love what they do and will inject that passion into your website design, putting you on the map. When it comes to something as important as your independent business, you need the peace of mind that your website is looking and functioning in the best possible way.
Get In Touch
We’re a small yet efficient team here at Outible, but that doesn’t mean there’s anything small about our skill, ability and passion to deliver amazing website. We’ve worked with big clients to create websites of the highest professional quality to match their reputable image and vast level of operations. We like working with small businesses just as much as well, helping them to thrive and stand out against their competitors. We’ve got a great deal of experience in a wide range of programming languages and software development tools, which means you can be assured that your website is being handled by experts who know how to get the job done to the highest standard. A big part of the web design process is talking to our customers to make sure we interpret their website design vision in an accurate way. So, get in touch with us now for more information about our services and how we can get started with your next project.